LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week the sacrifices that members of the US Armed Forces made during the Vietnam War are being remembered locally, across the state and the nation.

Friday, March 29, marks National Vietnam War Veterans Day and Saturday, March 30, is Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day in California.

On March 28, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, which officially recognizes March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

“To ensure the sacrifices of the 9 million heroes who served during this difficult chapter of our country’s history are remembered for generations to come, I signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, designating March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Throughout this Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, and every March 29 thereafter, we will honor all those who answered our Nation’s call to duty,” President Trump said in his proclamation.

As part of the national commemoration, on Friday the Department of Defense will conduct a wreath laying ceremony with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.

In California, Vietnam veterans have had a special commemoration for nearly a decade. On Sept. 25, 2009, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signed AB 717, which established every March 30 as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” and encouraged the state’s public schools to use the day to teach students about those veterans’ contributions.

The nation also is in the midst of the 13-year Vietnam War Commemoration.

The Department of Defense reported that the commemoration was authorized by Congress, established under the secretary of defense, and launched by President Barack Obama on May 25, 2012.

It recognizes all men and women who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from Nov. 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975.

The Department of Defense said nine million Americans, approximately 6.4 million living today, served during that period.

The commemoration makes no distinction between veterans who served in-county, in-theater, or were stationed elsewhere during those 20 years. “All answered the call of duty,” the agency said in a statement on the war.

Officials said the commemoration continues through Veterans Day 2025.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors offered a proclamation honoring the March 29 and 30 commemorations to several local Vietnam veterans.

District 3 Supervisor EJ Crandell, himself a veteran, presented the proclamation.

He noted that his stepfather had served in Vietnam, and he and his family had wondered for many years what bothered him. Later, they found out his stepfather had post traumatic stress disorder.

“You all lived through a trying time and fought through a war where at certain times you weren't appreciated. But we appreciate you now,” Crandell said before reading the proclamation that honored the veterans.

The proclamation, which was sponsored by District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, noted that the war was an extremely divisive issue in the United States, and members of the US Armed Forces “were caught in the crossfire of public debate.” It wasn’t until 1982 that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was erected in Washington, DC.

Through their proclamation, the board declared March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day and March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day in Lake County, offering profound gratitude for the veterans’ extreme sacrifice.

Greg Scott, one of the veterans who received the proclamation, thanked the board.

He mentioned the local contributions of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 951, whose president, Dean Gotham, also was on hand to receive the proclamation. Both men are charter members of the group.

“We’ve very active even though we’re small,” said Scott, noting that they are getting older.

He said the group has offered “commendable outreach,” helping vets with everything from finances to appointments and adding that Gotham is vice chair of the organization’s state council. In that capacity, Gotham travels around the state, informing leaders of issues impacting veterans.

Scott also noted the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter’s successful work to bring “The Moving Wall” – a traveling version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – to Lake County in June 2009.

Scott thanked the board for honoring him and his local Vietnam veterans. “That recognition is a big payback for what most of us have been through.”

Gotham also offered brief remarks thanking the board, noting the nearly six decades of mistakes made regarding Vietnam veterans.

“This is a measure of substantial contribution to the contrary” he said holding up the proclamation and shaking Crandell’s hand.

On Thursday evening, the Clearlake City Council offered its own proclamation honoring Vietnam veterans.

Mayor Nick Bennett, a US Army veteran and retired police sergeant, said in presenting the proclamation to two local veterans that all branches of the military keep the country safe.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake is bidding goodbye to its longtime Public Works director, who officials have credited with helping the city make great strides despite limited resources.

A reception for Doug Herren took place on Thursday evening ahead of the Clearlake City Council meeting.

Then, during the meeting, city leaders, staff, county officials and community members lauded Herren for his efforts in serving the city since 2001.

It’s a time of transition for Clearlake, which also this month is bidding farewell to City Manager Greg Folsom, who is taking the city manager’s job at Suisun City. His assistant city manager, Alan Flora, was appointed as the new city manager at the March 14 meeting, as Lake County News has reported.

In Herren’s case, he’s not taking another job but retiring with wife Lori to Idaho.

Clearlake Mayor Nick Bennett said he was sad to see Herren go. “Doug has done wonders over the years with little resources, little staff,” he said.

“We’re going to really miss you. There’s going to be a big hole to fill,” said Councilman Russell Cremer, who added that he hoped the city can find a successor who will measure up to Herren.

Councilman Phil Harris said Herren is more than a Public Works director. He’s been a friend to everyone in the city, and was instrumental in helping with the city’s Measure V sales tax for roads. He’s also been instrumental in getting the city grants for projects.

Harris said those are huge achievements for the city, accomplished in the midst of the chaos of the county’s fire disasters.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton – who told everyone to wave to Herren’s wife, who was watching the livestream of the meeting from Idaho – said Herren has shown what Public Works can do. She said she appreciated Herren’s friendship and his wife’s commitment and support to his time-consuming work.

The council then presented a proclamation to Herren, who received a standing ovation from the full council chamber.

Flora then came forward with an orange traffic cone. “Sometimes you need to use a lot of caution around Doug,” said Flora, who recounted Herren coming to his office, slamming his budget down on his desk and staring at him.

He said Herren has a huge heart and is a hard worker. “He doesn’t give up.”

Flora then gave Herren the traffic cone, signed by city staff, wishing him well and giving him a hug.

“It’s hard to believe this day has finally come,” said Herren, who noted mixed emotions and repeatedly cleared his throat to avoid his voice breaking.

While he’s looking forward to more leisure time, he said he’ll miss his city friends and coworkers. “The city feels like a family to me,” he said, adding, “Leaving today feels like moving away from home for the very first time.”

He thanked Folsom – his 12th city manager – for giving him a chance, for having vision and turning him loose to do his work. Herren said Folsom let him do his job, adding Folsom could have all the credit.

“Thank you, Doug,” Folsom called from the back of the room.

Herren told Flora that he feels that with his vision, direction and team, “You’re destined for greatness.”

He said Clearlake is a great city, and over the past 10 years growth and innovation have been its hallmark.

He thanked his wife for her support and his many friends in the room, from retired Parks Ranger Tom Nixon to Sheriff Brian Martin and county Public Works Director Scott De Leon.

De Leon offered praise for Herren on behalf of himself and his staff, noting that Herren has done some amazing things. “I don’t have to tell you what we do is difficult.”

He presented Herren with a framed picture that he titled “Insanity,” which depicted them in an air boat trying to break up lyngbya mats on Clearlake in 2010.

Phil Dow of the Area Planning Council also lauded Herren, noting there are three things a person can do when they’re faced with not having a lot of money or staff: collect a paycheck, complain or take Herren’s path – “just go do it, get the job done with the resources you have.”

Dow added, “What he’s done here is no small potatoes.”

Folsom said one of the things he values in employees is work hard and getting it done. He said that during the major fires that have impacted the county, Herren has worked 100-hour weeks.

Herren got grants for road projects on 18th and Phillips avenues, and Folsom said the work to build the new portion of the Dam Road Extension – completed last year – may be the pinnacle of Herren’s accomplishments in Clearlake.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake is set to begin a project to make improvements at the civic center.

On Thursday night the Clearlake City Council unanimously approved the award of a construction contract to Granite Construction for the Burns Valley Civic Center Enhancement Project.

Granite Construction, which was the only company to submit a bid in response to the city’s February project advertisement, is estimating the work will cost approximately $549,136, about $1,000 less than the city engineer’s estimate, according to Public Works Superintendent Mike Baker.

As part of approving Granite Construction’s bid, the city council allowed for new City Manager Alan Flora – who was in the city manager’s seat for the first time on Thursday – to approve up to an additional 10 percent in unforeseen contract amendments.

Baker went over the project’s background, explaining that the civic center location has either no facilities or substandard ones for proper pedestrian and bicycle travel.

He said it will provide pedestrian improvements including high visibility crosswalks, retro-reflective signs and striping, rapid-flashing beacons and other pedestrian/bicyclist improvements.

It also will add sidewalks and a bike route along Olympic Drive from Pine Street to Lakeshore Drive and extend around the corner along the east side of Lakeshore Drive from Olympic Drive to the end of the City Hall property.

The SB1 Local Partner Program will provide $200,000 for the project. The staff report said the remaining $349,136 was to come from the city’s Series A bonds. However, on Thursday night, Baker said only $320,000 in bond funding was available, so staff recommended that the remaining $30,000 come from the gas tax fund.

He said it’s an important project to implement the city’s strategic plan goal No. 3, which is improving the quality of life in Clearlake with improved public facilities.

Councilman Dirk Slooten asked if utility undergrounding is to be a part of the project.

Retiring Public Works Director Doug Herren said no. He said he had talked to Pacific Gas and Electric which has projects that are still a year or two out, and the city didn’t want to wait. Herren said the city needs to set an example by installing curb, gutter and sidewalk at its facilities if it’s requiring it of community members.

Slooten asked if the city could force the company to do their projects quicker. Herren said no, but he added that if PG&E were to do an undergrounding project, it’s unlikely to impact the work by the city, which isn’t buying any right of way.

Councilman Phil Harris asked about the location of the high visibility crosswalks. Herren said the location is at Olympic and Pine, not Olympic and Lakeshore.

Harris asked if there are provisions for lighting in the project; Herren said no. Harris then followed up by asking if the city could incorporate conduit and vaults into its work in order to make provisions for future undergrounding projects.

Herren said it’s possible, noting that many construction projects are up to four years behind due to the region’s fires. He said more projects are now using line or directional boring for undergrounding, which is less destructive.

Slooten said the City Hall property probably isn’t now compliant with federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. “It’s important that we set an example.”

Councilman Russell Cremer moved to approve the contract award, which the council approved 5-0.

In other business on Thursday, the council approved an agreement with the Lake County Tourism Improvement District for administrative services related to collection of the newly established 1.5-percent assessment from lodging establishments within the city and held a first reading of an ordinance to make what City Attorney Ryan Jones termed as a “minor amendment” to the city code’s exceptions to competitive bidding requirements.

The council also approved a resolution certifying the appointment of Jill Martin as the city’s finance director. Martin is a recent retiree in the CalPERS system. Flora told the council members that they needed to certify that the position is critically needed in order to waive the requirement that she not work for another CalPERS employer within six months of her retirement.

Martin will be a retired annuitant, which allows her to work up to 960 hours per fiscal year. Flora, who has held the finance director job along with the assistant city manager job, said the city will now work on finding a permanent finance director.

On Thursday the council also gave Herren a sendoff – with a reception before the meeting and honors at the start of the meeting.

The council also honored honor retiring police dispatcher Wendy England, presented a proclamation recognizing March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day and heard a report on the Public, Education and Government Channel’s annual budget.

Departing City Manager Greg Folsom – who hired Flora last year – spoke briefly during public comment, reporting that it was Flora’s birthday and leading everyone in singing “Happy Birthday” to him.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

UKIAH, Calif. – A defendant who planted a pipe bomb under the kitchen sink in an attempt to inflict injury on his wife in August was committed to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Wednesday by the Mendocino County Superior Court.

Gerald Richard Orth, age 63, formerly of Ukiah, was sentenced to seven years in state prison, a sentence from his January conviction by plea of attempting to explode a destructive device with intent to wrongfully injure another person, a felony, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.

Because Orth also admitted a prior felony conviction for a forcible rape that occurred in 1982 in Lake County, a “strike” under the current version of the Three Strikes law, his sentence was doubled to 14 years, officials said.

A strike conviction also limits the good time/work time credits an inmate may be able to earn in state prison to no more than 20 percent – versus the default 50 percent – of the overall sentence.

The prosecutor who has been directing the prosecution of this defendant is Deputy District Attorney Scott McMenomey.

The investigating law enforcement agencies that gathered the necessary evidence to convict were the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Bomb Squad and the Fresno Police Department.

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge John Behnke imposed the state prison sentence after considering the Adult Probation Department's sentencing recommendation and listening to sentencing arguments presented by the attorneys.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors acted to install Dr. Erin Gustafson as permanent Public Health officer.

Dr. Gustafson was initially appointed Lake County’s deputy Public Health officer in November 2017, and elevated to interim Public Health officer in October 2018.

“This is an important step for the county of Lake,” said Board Chair Tina Scott. “Dr. Gustafson has the background and quality of character required to encourage better population health outcomes. We hope many will get the chance to meet Erin at our next round of community visioning forums, which will focus upon health and wellness.”

The early days of Gustafson’s work for the county have brought no shortage of trying circumstances. However, the board credits her with meeting them with tact, grit and determination.

“I chose Lake County because of the extraordinary opportunity to make an impact on the health of the population,” said Gustafson. “Lake County faces challenging economic and social conditions, along with major natural disasters every year since 2015. This is a resilient community that is collaborating to make a positive impact on the health of all of our citizens.”

Gustafson’s swift and insightful work in response to the Mendocino Complex wildfires spoke volumes to her capacity and commitment.

“We dedicated ourselves to ensuring the community was safe, particularly that evacuations of healthcare facilities were accomplished expeditiously and the shelters had their medical needs met.”

Gustafson’s own expedient efforts, informed by experience investigating infectious disease outbreaks for the New York State Department of Health, stemmed the spread of a stomach virus in an emergency shelter.

Dr. Gustafson holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Kansas State University and an MD from the University of Kansas’ School of Medicine.

She completed two years of residency training in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Orange County/UC Irvine before her passion for population health led her to preventive medicine. Public Health has been her consistent focus, ever since.

Gustafson weds a strong aspirational vision to great compassion and a commitment to meeting people where they are at.

“During my residency, I learned that only a small percentage of health is a result of medical care, with the remainder coming from the context of community and the social and economic conditions,” she said. “I am excited to continue to lead Lake County’s response to the opioid epidemic, and create a sustainable harm reduction model. Not every drug user, for example, will change from education, alone, and activities such as syringe exchange and increased distribution of naloxone save lives.”

She has already begun work to increase access to Hepatitis C treatment for county residents through UC San Francisco’s Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, or ECHO, and led efforts to realize the best possible local emergency medical care system. Much lies ahead.

“The board’s vision, ‘Considering and promoting the well-being and economic resilience of every Lake County resident,’ will require broad contributions from within and outside of the county,” said Gustafson. “I look forward to continuing to lead through open communication and collaboration with strategic partners.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Office of Education has announced the winning schools for the 2018-2019 Attendance Challenge.

This was a countywide competition with nearly 10,000 Lake County students participating.

The winners were determined based on the highest average attendance data over two different weeks within the 2018-2019 school year.

The winning schools are:

– Kelseyville Preschool: 93.59 percent
– Upper Lake Elementary School: 97.33 percent
– Terrace Middle School: 95.140 percent
– Konocti Education Center: 92.17 percent
– Clear Lake High School: 96.64 percent
– Hance Community School: Best overall improvement in attendance

The competition for the top spots was fierce, particularly in the middle school category. Middletown Middle School took second place, missing the top spot by only 0.003 of a percentage point.

Upper Lake Elementary School not only had the top attendance rate for all elementary schools, they had the top attendance rate for all Lake County schools with an average attendance rate of 97.33 percent.

“Thank you to the students, families, teachers and school staff for taking the Attendance Challenge seriously,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.

Falkenberg added, “I’d like to thank the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe for their generous financial contributions to the winning schools.”

Each winning school will receive $500, an “Attendance Challenge Winner” banner, and bragging rights for the next year. Schools are encouraged to use the money to support and celebrate good attendance.

“The leadership of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe is proud to support the efforts of Lake County Office of Education to spotlight the importance of and promote school attendance,” said Sherry Treppa, chairperson of the executive council.

Rob Young, Lake County Office of Education’s Emergency Services/Special Projects Coordinator, organized the event. He explained, “Our goal was to have an event that would stimulate positive conversation about the importance of student attendance at school.”

“With chronic absenteeism being a true concern for Lake County students, LCOE staff brainstormed solutions to help educate the students, parents and community on the importance of attendance. And thus, the Attendance Challenge was born,” added Falkenberg.

For more information on the top three winners in each category, please go to www.lakecoe.org. You can read more about attendance at www.lakecoe.org/Attendance.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Fairfield woman has been sentenced to probation, fines and community service for environmental crimes in relation to a black market marijuana grow in Lower Lake.

On March 11, Elizabeth Garcia, 33, was sentenced to three misdemeanor violations relating to the use of a banned pesticide at the grow, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Garcia was placed on three years probation, ordered to pay fines and fees of $22,700 and complete 240 hours of community service. In addition, she has prohibitions related to cannabis possession and cultivation.

The violations stem from a September 2018 investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California State Water Resources Control Board, or SWRCB, for black market sales and environmental crimes. The illegal grow contained 850 plants and was not permitted by the county or licensed by the state.

"The conviction of this case was a result of a team effort with CDFW scientists and enforcement, SWRCB, U.C. Davis Veterinary Medicine and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation," said Lake County District Attorney Susan Krones. "The abundance of natural resources in our county should be respected and treated with care. This conviction demonstrates that noncompliance with state environmental laws will not be tolerated."

While serving a search warrant, wildlife officers observed the presence of a suspected illegal substance and a dead bird, identified as a hermit thrush, found within the cultivation site and another bird carcass nearby. Plant samples and the deceased bird were tested and both returned positive for carbofuran.

"Black market marijuana operations can be very harmful to the environment," said David Bess, deputy director and chief of the CDFW Law Enforcement Division. "Grows of this nature are a public safety threat and keep the legal cannabis market from reaching its full potential."

Carbofuran has been banned in the United States since 2009. A single aspirin-sized tablet of carbofuran is toxic enough to kill 20,000 small birds and just a teaspoon can kill a 300-lb. black bear.

CDFW encourages cannabis operators to obtain state licenses and local authorization for commercial cultivation. Learn more at wildlife.ca.gov/cannabis.

CDFW would like to remind the public to report environmental crimes such as water pollution, illegal water diversions and poaching to the CalTIP hotline by calling 888-334-2258 or by texting "CALTIP" followed by a space and the desired message, to 847411 (tip411).

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest is planning a hazard tree management project on approximately 7,000 acres adjacent to selected roads within the Ranch fire area.

The purpose of the project is to provide a safe transportation system to access key areas including private property, communication sites, facilities and developed recreation areas.

The project involves treating all hazard trees that compromise forest visitor and employee safety along priority roads.

Merchantable trees with 50 percent or greater probability of fire-induced mortality that pose a hazard will be removed within 200 feet on both sides of selected roads and within 100 feet on the roads that run adjacent to the Snow Mountain Wilderness.

Smaller non-merchantable hazard trees will be treated in a variety of ways such as chipping or hauling to biomass processing plants.

Hazard tree management along travel corridors is a forest-wide safety priority that needs to be completed before roads within the burned area can be safely reopened to the public.

The first project will be the Bartlett project on the Upper Lake Ranger District, involving approximately 500 acres around Bartlett Springs Road and arterial roads.

The Ranch fire area remains closed due to potential threats to life and safety.

“Post-fire threats include flooding, debris flows, hazard trees and loss of ingress and egress along roads, trails, recreation areas, and facilities,” said Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson. “Forest employees are doing everything possible to reasonably reduce risks to the public and reopen areas as soon as possible. We are also exploring opportunities for volunteers to help with cleanup and restoration.”

The areas proposed for hazard tree management will be analyzed under 36 CFR 220.6 (d) (4), to meet National Environmental Protection Act requirements.

This category provides for repair and maintenance of roads, trails and landline boundaries.

A larger version of the project map is available here.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Public Services Department is preparing to hold several public meetings this weekend as part of the process to apply for state park grants to make improvements at three county parks.

Public Services Director Lars Ewing said he and his staff are pursuing Proposition 68 grant funds for projects at Hammond Park in Nice, Kelseyville Community Park and Middletown Trailside Nature Preserve.

As part of the application process, the county is holding three meetings on Saturday, March 30, at the following locations and times:

– Middletown: 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., at Trailside Park, 21435 Dry Creek Cutoff;
– Kelseyville: 1:15 to 3 p.m., at Kelseyville Community Park, 5270 State St.;
– Nice: 4:15 to 6 p.m., at Hammond Park, 2490 Lakeshore Blvd.

Community members are invited to drop in at any time during the meetings, which will be conducted in an open-house format.

The funding the county is pursuing is from Proposition 68, the Parks and Water Bond Act of 2018, passed by California voters in June.

Proposition 68 authorizes $4 billion in general obligation bonds meant for projects that extend from local and state parks to flood protection, water infrastructure, environmental protection and habitat restoration.

On Tuesday, Ewing received the Board of Supervisors’ approval of an agreement between the county and Foothill Associates for Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program support services. The estimated contract cost is $20,725.

In his report to the board, Ewing explained that the intent of the Proposition 68 program “is to create new parks, or develop new recreation opportunities in existing parks, located in critically underserved communities. A critically underserved community is defined as an area within a half mile radius of a site that either has less than three acres of park space per 1,000 residents or a median household income below $51,026. Statewide $255 million will be distributed in the 2019 grant round, with an additional $395 million to be made available statewide in future rounds.”

Foothill Associates has formerly done Proposition 68 consulting for the county, according to Ewing, who told Lake County News that the company has helped with work on a lot of Northshore parks, including the Hammond Park master planning process. He said staff already has met with Foothill Associates staff, who are very excited about working on all three parks.

The city of Lakeport also is planning to apply for Proposition 68 funds in this first round of $255 million in grants. Lakeport wants to build a new lakeside park on the former Natural High School property, as Lake County News reported earlier this month.

Clearlake Assistant City Manager Alan Flora, who the Clearlake City Council has appointed to succeed Greg Folsom as city manager later this month, told Lake County News that the city of Clearlake isn’t currently pursuing funding from Proposition 68 for its park projects.

He added that he’s been reviewing the program and will identify if they have projects that will work. The city has projects lined up for Austin Park and Highlands Park, with funds set aside for the former and an application to the state seeking several million dollars in Community Development Block Grant funds for the latter.

If the funds for Highlands Park don’t come through the CDBG grant, Flora said it would be his priority to seek Proposition 68 funds.

Three parks selected for grant submissions

Ewing and his staff reviewed which parks would be eligible, and Hammond Park, Kelseyville Community Park and Middletown Trailside Park had the best fit. He said those three parks also have the most need of further development.

He said they don’t have the specific style down for every park. “That’s why we are going to the public, to find out what they want at each park.”

Each park is very different in its needs and facilities. Ewing said Kelseyville Community Park is the most developed, and includes the skate park, while Hammond Park has been developed – it has one of the county’s best baseball diamonds, built by Ewing’s parks staff – but more can be done.

Trailside Park “is a different animal entirely,” said Ewing.

“It’s a nature preserve,” he said, which means not building too many structures. “We want to be true to that spirit.”

Trailside Park, Ewing said, is unique because of what it’s been through. The Valley fire, burned through its thousands of trees and its playground. The park’s vernal pools survived.

Now, Trailside Park presents a wide open canvas. Tree replanting efforts took place last year and again earlier this month. Ewing said some of those plantings have taken hold, and quite a few of the pine trees have started coming back on their own.

Ewing said that his grandchildren may eventually “enjoy it in something close to what it was a few years ago.”

County staffers have talked to the Middletown Area Town Hall, which put together an ad hoc committee to look at the park. Some of the ideas that Ewing said came out of that committee included identifying trails MATH would like to see rebuilt.

In addition, EcoArts of Lake County will return this summer with its sculpture walk, he said.

Seeking public input

In order to produce competitive grant applications, and maximize points, Ewing said his department will hold the public meetings, with that input then contributing to the resulting park master plans.

By identifying community priorities, that public meeting process also will inform how much funding the county ultimately seeks in its grant applications, Ewing said. While they don’t know the total amount they’ll seek, each grant is to be no less than $200,000, with no match required.

They’re specifically seeking input from residents within a few miles radius of each park. “It’s a big time effort, which we’re happy to do,” he said.

At the Saturday meetings, easels will be out and community members can share ideas and suggest park design elements. The consultants will be on hand to lead people through the design concept; children also are welcome to attend and participate. Ewing said the goal is to generate ideas, like a charrette.

Another round of meetings will take place on Thursday, April 4, with Ewing explaining that the goal is to reach different groups of people.

The meetings on April 4 will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. at Hammond Park, 1 to 2 p.m. at Kelseyville Community Park, and 3 to 4 p.m. at Trailside Park.

Ewing said staff members – not consultants – will guide community members through the process at the April 4 meetings, which will feature a lot of similarities to the meetings on March 30.

For those who can’t make the meetings, Ewing encourages them to participate in online surveys for each of the parks:

– Hammond Park: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PLCHNX9.
– Kelseyville Community Park: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H5NX7L7.
– Middletown Trailside Park: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3LQG6BZ.

The deadline to complete the survey is April 10.

From the meetings and survey results, the goal is to create park design schematics and conceptual plans that should be read for sharing with the community by the summer, Ewing said.

Ewing said an application will be submitted for each of the three parks. The state grant timeline calls for the grant applications to be submitted by Aug. 5, with notifications about selection expected to go out by the end of this year. He said the county has to have compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act completed within six months of the grant application.

Based on the state timeline for the grants, projects selected for funding must be completed by March 2022.

Ewing encourages community members to participate in the process and tell the county what they’d like to see done at their parks.

“Because they are your parks,” he said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Ballot counts reported at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting indicate that four new zones of benefit to address vegetation and reduce wildland fire risk in the Kelseyville area have been approved.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning hosted protest hearings and tabulation counts for the zones of benefit for Buckingham, the Clear Lake Riviera, Riviera Heights and Riviera West.

Supervisor Rob Brown put together the plan for the zones of benefit last year and received the Board of Supervisors’ support to put it to a vote of property owners earlier this year.

Brown’s plan is for the property owners of about 5,000 lots in those four areas, plus adjacent lands, make a one-time payment of $100 per lot for properties of less than one acre, $200 for lots from one to five acres, and $300 for lots of five acres or more.

He said the main goal is to get property owners to clean up their own land, which they can do much cheaper than the county can hire contractors to do it.

If they don’t, the funding raised through the assessment would allow cleanup of certain properties that would be designated as high risk, with the property owners to repay the cleanup costs through liens assessed on their land.

Brown said Tuesday that the county is willing to loan $100,000 up front to the effort so that cleanup can start immediately, ahead of the fire season.

Proposition 218, passed by voters in 1996, is a constitutional amendment that requires that taxpayers be allowed to vote on assessments, general taxes and certain types of user fees, with a 50 percent plus one majority vote required for passage.

Based on Proposition 218’s requirements, the county sent out thousands of ballots to property owners.

Most of the ballots reported in the count on Tuesday had been returned by the board meeting, but some additional ballots came in during the hearings.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson said staff had been counting the ballots and that they would take those ballots turned in during the hearings, tabulate them and return with the final count.

The board heard both support and opposition to the zones of benefit.

Longtime Clear Lake Riviera resident Tom Nixon offered his support. “We’re trying to do everything we can to mitigation the vegetation hazards that we have.”

Emily Miller, one of the adjacent property owners to the Clear Lake Riviera, protested the proposal. “I think it’s poorly written,” along with being underexplained and underdeveloped, she said.

Janet Swedburg thanked Brown for the idea. “This is not just about our property. It is about our lives.”

Riviera Heights resident Henry Berg said he thought the proposal is commendable but deeply flawed, raising issues about the legalities of going onto people’s property. He also raised issues with the envelopes bearing the ballots not being labeled as having the ballots inside, and his concern that the return postage wasn’t enough.

Huchingson would later explain that they based the handling of the ballots on Special Districts assessments that have been done in the past, and that staff had determined the postage was enough to cover the return of the one-sheet ballots.

Staff took the remaining ballots for a count and returned a short time later in the meeting. Marcy Harrison, a County Administrative Office staffer, presented the ballot counts to the board.

The counts are as follows.

Clear Lake Riviera

Total ballots returned: 1,168
Yes: 654 (56 percent)
No: 514 (44 percent)

Buckingham

Total ballots returned: 402
Yes: 250 (62 percent)
No: 152 (38 percent)

Riviera West

Total ballots returned: 266
Yes: 180 (68 percent)
No: 86 (32 percent)

Riviera Heights

Total ballots returned: 308
Yes: 170 (55 percent)
No: 138 (45 percent)

The board took no action beyond receiving the ballot count. County Counsel Anita Grant said that a resolution will be brought back to the board next week confirming the vote and tabulation results.

Later in the meeting, the board unanimously approved the second and final reading of a new ordinance regarding hazardous vegetation abatement on unimproved parcels in the unincorporated county.

The ordinance and its performance is to be reviewed in six months, Grant said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) has announced Marie Beery as this year’s Woman of the Year in Lake County.

Each year, Thompson honors women from the Fifth Congressional District who make exceptional contributions to our community.

“Marie’s hard work and dedication has touched every part of the Lake County community; from business to agriculture to charitable work to mentorship, her work boosts the entire area. As a business leader, she has helped to put Lake County food and wine on the map. As a community leader, she’s helped support many important charitable causes,” said Thompson. “I’m proud to honor her strong contributions to every part of our community by naming her Lake County Woman of the Year.”

This is the fifth annual Women of the Year Awards, started in honor of Women’s History Month.

Each year, Thompson recognizes one woman from each of the counties in our district to be recognized for her service to our community.

A complete list of 2019 winners includes:

– Tranzena “Kandie” Jones, Contra Costa County;
– Marie Beery, Lake County;
– Mary Jane Bowker, Napa County;
– Verna Mustico, Solano County;
– Lorez Bailey, Sonoma County.

Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

Dungeness crab will be caught off the coast with greater care for endangered wildlife under a settlement announced by the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.

The legal settlement protects whales and sea turtles from entanglement in commercial Dungeness crab gear.

The Center for Biological Diversity sued CDFW in October 2017 after a drastic increase in the number of whale entanglements off the West Coast.

“As I’ve said many times, no one wants whale entanglements to happen,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This agreement represents hours of intense negotiation to help ensure they don’t happen while supporting the resiliency of the crab fishery in the long run. I am thankful for the leadership of the Center for Biological Diversity and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations who realized something needed to be done together.”

“This is great news for whales and sea turtles fighting extinction off California’s coast,” said Kristen Monsell, a Center for Biological Diversity attorney. “The settlement will reduce serious threats from crab gear to these beautiful and highly endangered animals. This agreement is a turning point that gets us closer to zero entanglements and a healthy ocean.”

The lawsuit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity against CDFW (Center for Biological Diversity v. Bonham) in federal court in San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, which represents crabbers, intervened in the lawsuit.

The settlement, subject to court approval, creates a comprehensive approach to the problem of whale entanglements. It expedites state regulation, ensures stakeholder input from the Dungeness crab Fishing Gear Working Group and formalizes a first-ever commitment by CDFW to pursue a federal permit for protecting endangered species.

While these steps are executed, the settlement calls for this year’s crab season to end three months early and prescribes protective measures for future springtime fishing seasons, when the greatest number of whales are present off the California coast.

In November 2018, CDFW announced it would seek a federal permit under the Endangered Species Act to address protected species interactions with the crab fishery. Obtaining a permit and developing a conservation plan as part of that process can take years, so the settlement spells out interim protections.

“This settlement represents the path back to normality for California’s crab fishery with built-in protections for whales and crab fishing operations under the Endangered Species Act,” said Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “The past several years have been extraordinarily challenging for fishing families, and the actions we’re taking here are no exception. But in the end, we’re going to emerge together with a resilient, prosperous, and protective fishery that will continue to feed California and the nation.”

Details of the settlement can be found here.

The mission of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations is the largest commercial fishermen’s organization on the West Coast, representing 17 local and regional associations from Santa Barbara to Southeast Alaska. As a major commercial fishing industry trade association, the group represents the interests of commercial fishing families who make their living harvesting and delivering high-quality seafood to America’s tables.